The present disclosure relates to providing a user apparel information based upon the user's selection of another piece of apparel. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to providing a user information related to a footwear model based upon the user's selection of a different model of footwear.
Finding the correct apparel size to purchase online is difficult due to the inability to try on the apparel. A user must select a size the user thinks will fit and try the apparel on once the apparel is delivered to the user. However, sizes may vary among various manufacturers, which may cause a user to select an incorrect size. Situations like this lead to a high number of apparel returns. Many people choose not to purchase apparel online at all due to the risk of not being satisfied with a purchase and having to return the item, which often results in additional out of pocket expenses for the user or seller.
One example of size varying greatly among manufacturers is in footwear. Many choose not to shop for footwear online because they cannot physically try on the footwear and do not want the inconvenience of returning improperly fitting footwear. Furthermore, those who do shop online typically purchase the same footwear and size of which they are familiar, thus limiting the selection potential.
Finding the ideal fit for footwear is also problematic because of the lack of uniformity and consistency of sizing among footwear manufacturers. For example, a size 10 shoe or boot from one footwear manufacturer typically has different internal dimensions from a size 10 shoe or boot from another footwear manufacturer. Internal dimensions may even differ between models offered by a single manufacturer. Manufacturers continually change and discontinue models, so there is typically a need for fitting even if the user has found a good fit in a given shoe model.
To alleviate problems caused by size discrepancies among manufacturers, some retailers maintain a list (e.g., in a database) of various dimensions for various models of footwear, thereby allowing a customer to compare one model to another. As taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,741,728 to Leonard J. Genest, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, footwear image data is collected from manufacturers' footwear lists. Populating the database is therefore dependent on manufacturers' agreements to share their footwear design information, as well as the accuracy of that information.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0011173 to Val Agostino (U.S. Ser. No. 11/419,967, now abandoned), the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, compares a populated footwear database to a user footwear profile by using foot measurements to suggest a recommended fit. In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 6,741,728 and U.S. Pub. No. 2007/0011173, foot measurements are used to find the best footwear fit and recommended sizing. There are many variables that go into measuring user's feet that make for a difficult fitting process even when the real measurements are known. These factors include the type and thickness of sock being worn, the time of day and season in which the user's feet are measured, fluctuation in body weight, and the activity in which they use the footwear.